Flying toy



May 26, 1931-,

w. c. WOOD FLYING TOY 2 Sheets-sheaf. 1

Filed March 6, 1929 ATTORNEY.

IEI'E I W INVENTOR.

May 26, 1931; w. c. wooo 1,807,355

FLYING TOY Filed March 6, 1929 2 sheds-sheet 2 M INVENTOR- Arrow Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STTES WILLIAM C. WOOD, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA FLYING TOY Application filed March 6,

' 1'0 aeroplanes by which they can be swung in circles on the end of a leash and held in the desired position;

To provide a toy aeroplane and other toys specially adapted to be swung in circles 1 5 at the end of a leash.

I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy aeroplane with my harness or rigging attached;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of such a toy aeroplane and shows the plane with the body in a horizontal position and the wings in a vertical posit-ion which they would occupy when the i toy is swung by a leash; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my aeroplane in the position shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows such an aeroplane banked at an angle of about Fig. 5 is a detail view of an alternate, form of the i 30 bed of such a toy showin same made of sheet metal; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the body shown in Figure 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail showing the wedges which secure the rigging against side slip in the body and 3-5 Figure 8 is an enlarged detail of the special form of eye-screw preferably used to attach the tail string to the toy.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various drawings.

My toy comprises a body, 1, which may be made of wood as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or of sheet metal as shown'in Figures 5 and 6, or of any other suitable materialhav- 7 ing the necessary weight. The body, 1, 5 should be of sufiicient weight to exert a strong tendency to turn the toy with the wings standing vertically When swung around the head rapidly. The body, 1, should also be made of a configuration which will permit its ready pasthrough an opening, 18, in the lower part of 1929. Serial No. 844,810.

sage through the air when so swung. The wings, 2 and 3, are preferably made of light, thin material and may be secured to the body, 1 by glue, screws or any other desired means.

A rudder, 4, is united to the tail of the body, 1, and a tail-skid, 6, which may be an ordinary angle-screw or any other desired form of skid, is secured to the body near the tail thereof. At the head of the body, a propeller blade, 5, may be mounted upon the pivot, 10, o with washers, 11 and 12, at each side thereof to facilitate free revolution thereof.

- I prefer to suspend this toy by a three-point v suspension comprising a head-sling, 1313,

and a tail-string, 13". The head-sling, .3 1313, may be composed of a single string or cord united at its ends to the swivel, 14, and passing through openings, 17, formed near the outer ends of the wing, 2, and

. the body, 1. A tail-string, 13", has one end attached to the swivel, 14, and its opposite end adjustably secured in the spring-eye-screw, 9, the outer end of which is formed into coils, 9 and 9, between which the rear end of the string, 13, 'may be secured and readily adjusted. V

The spring-screw-eye, 9, may be made sufficiently heavy so that the pressure of the coils upon the string will be 'suficient to hold it without knotting or the string may be caught between the coils and then knotted in ahalfhitch or othercdesired knot to keep it from slipping when in use.

The sling is preferably adjusted so as to hold thetoy in balance in approximately the position shown in Figure 1 and when so adjusted and the toy is swung rapidly in a circle upon the leash, 15, the body, 1, will lie in practically a horizontal position and the wings, 2 and 3, substantially in a vertical position. When desired to fly the toy in a banked position as shown in Figure 4, the

rigging or harness is slipped through the holes, 17 and 18, substantially in the position shown in Figure 4.

l/Vedges, 16 and 16, are provided which are adapted to enter the opening, 18, and wedge the cord, 13-13', securely in place.

When the harness is attached in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the machine will fly steadily with the wings in a vertical position, but by varying the adjustment of the strings, 1313, and 13", the toy may be caused to make a series of more or less erratic movements while traveling in a circle at the end of the leash. In addition to being caused to travel in horizontal circles as heretofore described, the toy may be swung in vertical circles upon a short leash, but such circles are necessarily small, while horizontal circles of a very considerable diameter may be described by whirling the toy rapidly upon the end of a long leash.

In order to avoid injury to the toy when it alights and to simulate the appearance of an aeroplane to better advantage, I provide a bracket, 7, with an axle, 18, mounted therein and ground-wheels, 8, revolvably mounted upon the aXle. The bracket, 7, and axles, 18, are preferably made of metal and may be utilized as weights to aid in locating the center of gravity of the toy near the point of attachment of the bracket, 7, and for that purpose, may be made of any desired weight, or weights may be attached to the body to locate the center of gravity as desired. In order to stabilize the toy in flying at the end of the leash, the center of g-avity should be well beyond the wings.

The body, 1, should be formed of a substantial height so as to form a sort of keel which will help hold the toy steady while it is being revolved upon the leash, 15, and the fin or keel action may be increased by using a sheet metal body, 19, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, 22 representing the opening for the string, 1313, and 21 the holes in which the axle, 18, is mounted, 20 r presenting a downwardly extending bracket preferably formed integral with the body, 19, and in which the holes, 21, may be formed in lieu of the bracket, 7.

The propeller, 5, is preferably made of very light material and mounted so as to revolve very easily so that the action of the air will cause it to revolve rapidly when the toy is being swung in a circle upon the leash, 15.

\Vhile my invention is intended primarily for toy aeroplanes, it is obvious that it may be applied to a considerable variety of toys such as canoes, imitation birds, kite-like structures, etc, and I do not limit my claims to the precise form of toy shown. It is obvious that in addition to its use simply as a toy, my device will form a very convenient vehicle for carrying advertisements which may be painted thereon or otherwise secured thereto and will form a very attractive advertising novelty.

In the operation of my device, it should be swung around the head initially in a small circle and the leash or tether can be gradually let out and the size of the circle increased as the circling movement is speeded up.

Likewise, in bringing the device to a stop, the leash or tether may be hauled in so as to shorten the radius of the circle in which the toy travels and when drawn in close to the operator, it can be stopped without even striking the ground. When desired to pull or draw the toy upon the ground, the leash or tether may be threaded through the eye which I have shown formed upon the front end of the propeller pivot, 10, in Figure 1.

I claim:

1. A tethered toy aeroplane comprising a longitudinal body, a transverse front wing attached to the upper edge of the body, small openings formed in the front wing near the outer ends thereof, a triple sling comprising a tail line attached to the body near the tail thereof and a loop passing through the wing openings and adjustably secured to the lower part of the body below the front wing, and a tether connected to the sling.

2. A tethered toy aeroplane comprising a longitudinal body, a transverse front wing attached to the upper edge of t ie body, small openings formed in the front wing near the outer em s thereof, a transverse opening in the body below the front wing having wedges secured. therein, a. tackle comprising a tail line attached to the body near the tail thereof and a loop passing through the wing openings and the opening in the body and adjustably secured by the wedges to the body below the front wing, and a tether connected to the tackle.

3. A tethered toy aeroplane comprising a longitudinal body with front and rear transverse wings attached thereto, the front wing having small openings extending through it, such openings being spaced at equal distances from the body and in a line at right angles thereto, a transverse opening in the body below the front wing, wedges secured in said body opening, a tackle comprising a tail line attached to the upper edge of the body near the tail thereof and front lines extending through the openings in the wing and adjust ably secured to the body by the wedges, and a tether connected to the tackle.

1. A tethered toy aeroplane comprising a longitudinal body, a transverse front wing attached to the upper edge thereof having a small opening near each of its outer ends, an opening in the body below the front wing, a tackle or harness comprising three lines, one of which is attached to the body near the tail thereof and the other two of which pass through the wing openings and are adjust ably secured to the body in the opening below the front wings.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature.

lVILLIAM C. lVOOl). 

